The Unfaithful
by Elisabeth Hollow
Summary: Astia knows her husband Pinarus is unfaithful. But what will she do about it?


Astia Inventius knew her husband wasn't faithful.

She had known for quite some time. Years, in fact. But she had never said a word to him, despite the evidence she had begun gathering. The extra days hunting and selling the meat he had killed without her ever seeing a single septim tipped her off. At first, she thought perhaps he was saving up for her birthday, but that came and went with no celebration. She thought the same of their anniversary, but instead she was met with insincere lovemaking to a distracted husband.

When she found the notes, she began painting.

Lightly scented with rose oil, Astia knew who they were from. Or rather, she had an idea. She had done some investigative work on a day where she couldn't _stand_ it anymore, _how dare he cheat on her!_ Unfortunately, a lot of young women used rose oil to scent their bodies. But perhaps it was fortunate after all. She could resign herself to a life of painting.

She began to sell her paintings, slowly at first. Then she began shipping them to the Imperial City, selling them there through an agent. It didn't pay too much, but enough for her to warrant a hiding spot for her small bit of wealth. Pinarus never noticed her painting. He spent his days hunting or training, occasionally speaking to her when he was home.

Then she noticed a ring missing from her jewelry box. A small silver ring, inconsequential in a monetary sense, but it meant a great deal to her. Her mother had given it to her when she was a teenager. Her fingers were too plump to slide it on now, but she kept it nonetheless. She asked Pinarus if he had taken it, but he refused. What would he need a ring for?

Then he began asking for her jewelry.

Hunting wasn't going too well, he explained, his hands holding hers in the gentlest of grips. This was the most intimate he had been with her in months, and he was asking her to let him sell her jewelry! She conceded, but only if he let her get it appraised first, just in case. He reluctantly relented, and she was off with her jewelry box.

She got them appraised, as she said, but they were mostly fakes; Astia had never had enough money to buy real jewelry. The silver was steel and the gold painted on. The only real thing was her necklace. Made with real gold and jade, she had gotten it from an old boyfriend. Though she ended up choosing Pinarus, she was slowed to keep the necklace anyway, her former beau insisting.

She stepped into the Mages Guild, her pocket jingling and bulging from the bit of money she had secretly taken from her hiding spot.

-

When Pinarus came back without a stitch of clothing on, Astia's suspicions were confirmed, but not in the way she had hoped. She'd heard the rumors about the women robbing married men blind, but she feigned ignorance about it when he came in, shivering from what she expected was anger. Still, she made him a warm cup of tea, hoping her gentle touches would remind him why he chased after her. She took his look of gratefulness as a sign of hope for them.

The next few weeks were…odd. Pinarus didn't hunt as long as he used to, and his evening walks all but stopped. He would meet her at the docks when she painted, surprising her with a small bag of candies (not her favorites, but she appreciated the sentiment either way) and occasionally a flower. Sometimes he watched her paint. When he caught her reading The Black Horse Courier, she saw in his eyes that he knew that she knew.

Despite this, life carried on differently. Pinarus still hunted, and he still took on students, but instead of long hours out in the field, she was encouraged to come with, to bring food while they practiced. When he wasn't hunting, he came straight home with a fresh kill. Things were better.

When the necklace turned up, like she knew it would, it had a note attached.

"You're a clever woman," it read. "so I return this to you." There was no signature. She knew the woman who returned it wasn't Pinarus' lover, but Astia knew she was strong enough to be. Rumor had it that she had sliced the women from neck to sternum in a matter of seconds. With those dark eyes that bore into anyone she spoke to, Astia knew the Redguard was more than what anyone saw on the surface.

The note was burned, and the curse on the necklace removed. Astia tucked the necklace away in a silk handkerchief she bought, tucking it away with her stash of money. She knew that cursing the amulet would ruin the woman Pinarus gave it to, but she didn't expect it to bring her husband back to her. She got very lucky, and she knew that. Pinarus had claimed he fell and hit his head on the way to the jewelers, but she speculated on the truth. On his way to his mistress, he was seduced by the sirens, then stripped of his clothing and the necklace. The sirens were cursed instead of Pinarus' lover, but the result was the same to her.

She would enjoy her husband, for now. And if he slipped again, the curse wouldn't be on the other woman.


End file.
